Various Artists

Ham Hocks and Cornbread

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AllMusic Review by Stewart Mason

With 118 tracks spread over four jam-packed CDs, the budget-priced Ham Hocks and Cornbread is yet another inexpensive but worthwhile compilation from the reissue label JSP. Subtitled "The pounding, pulsating roots of rock & roll," this set consists primarily of classic jump blues sides of the '40s and early '50s. Artists range from famous folk like Johnny Otis (represented by the rollicking big-band instrumental "Barrelhouse Stomp") and Memphis stalwart Rufus Thomas (performing "Gonna Bring My Baby Back" under the pseudonym Mr. Swing) to a wide variety of names known only to completists. Songs range from Duke Ellington sideman Johnny Hodges' suave "Castle Rock" to James Von Streeter's greasy blues honker "Chitlins," complete with corny shouted interjections from the band. Remastering, as always with JSP releases, is a bit spotty, with several tracks clearly taken from vinyl, but any concerns are limited by the rarity of these songs, along with the wallet-pleasing price. For the casual fan or interested newcomer, Ham Hocks and Cornbread is tough to beat.

Track Listing - Disc 1

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time
1	Happy Pay Day	Little Willie Littlefield	03:00
2	Barrelhouse Stomp	Johnny Otis	02:46
3	Blues with a Feeling	Rabon Tarrant	03:00
4	I'm Your Boogie Man	Goree Carter	02:24
5	Big Bob's Boogie	Big Bob Dougherty	02:18
6	Did You Ever Love a Woman	Gatemouth Moore	02:50
7	Cheatin' Woman	Jimmy Smith	02:37
8	Drinking Ink Splink	Andrew Tibbs	02:32
9	Dyke Takes a Hike	David Van Dyke	02:42
10	T-Model Boogie	Rosco Gordon	02:36
11	Stop Light	Walter Brown	03:07
12	I Go for That	Billie McAllister	02:46
13	Floorshow	Frank Culley	02:59
14	Dyna-Flow	Jack Cooley	02:21
15	I'm Lucky with My Brown Gal	Sherman Williams	02:44
16	Achin' Heart Boogie	Clifford Blivens	02:41
17	Rockin' Boogie	Joe Lutcher	02:27
18	She's Gone with the Wind	Wynonie Harris	02:43
19	Swingin' for Pappy	Wild Bill Moore	02:54
20	Wine Woogie	Marvin Phillips	02:11
21	What's Your Phone Number	Jimmy McCracklin	02:43
22	Moose on the Loose	Bull Moose Jackson	02:44
23	Insect Ball	Big Jay McNeely	02:35
24	Blow Wynn Blow	Big Jim Wynn	02:09
25	V-8 Baby	Tommy Brown	02:56
26	The Hammer	Red Prysock	02:30
27	That'll Get It	Floyd Dixon	02:47
28	Weasel Walk	Joe Morris	02:50
29	Ooh Wee Baby	Carlton Campbell	02:35

Track Listing - Disc 2

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time
1	Walk That Mess	Tiny Bradshaw	02:44
2	The Fish, Pt. 2	Sonny Thompson	02:37
3	There's No Other Way	Jackson Brothers	02:18
4	Hey Spo-Dee-O-Dee	Wild Bill Moore	02:43
5	35-30	Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams	03:13
6	Fan Your Fanny Blues	Harold Tinsley	02:54
7	Take Me Back Baby Jules Taub / Jimmy Witherspoon	Jimmy Witherspoon	02:44
8	Blue Creek Hop	Rene Hall Sextette	03:01
9	Red Hot Blues	T.J. Fowler	02:32
10	Red's Blues	Red Prysock	03:11
11	Sure Like to Run	Carl Davis	02:29
12	Right Around the Corner	Jimmy Nelson	02:22
13	Ham Hocks	Cecil Payne	02:52
14	How About That	Eddie Mack	02:26
15	Your Mouth Got a Hole in It	Pinocchio James	02:28
16	Merc-O-Matic Boogie	Joe Dyson Orchestra	02:42
17	Moondog Boogie	Freddie Mitchell	02:42
18	Mighty Mighty Man	Roy Brown	02:27
19	Hole in the Ground	Cousin Joe	02:39
20	Wino	Kid Tanner	02:44
21	Walkin' Home	Eddie Chamblee	03:17
22	Stidham Jumps	Arbee Stidham	02:40
23	My Baby Left Me	Little Eddie	02:20
24	Pachuko Hop	Ike Carpenter & His Orchestra	02:14
25	That's Right Baby	Piney Brown	02:43
26	Rocket Flight	Fats Noel	02:27
27	Heavy Weight Baby	Jimmy Crawford / Frank Motley	02:49
28	Banks' Boogie	Buddy Banks	02:40
29	Louisiana Boogie	L.C. Williams	03:00

Track Listing - Disc 3

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time
1	Cornbread	Hal Singer	02:58
2	Gonna Bring My Baby Back	Rufus Thomas	02:27
3	On My Way	Roy Hawkins	02:35
4	Bookie's Blues	H-Bomb Ferguson	02:27
5	Screamin' Boogie	Dickie G. Davis	02:39
6	Baby You're Still a Square	Percy Mayfield	02:39
7	Rubber Leg Woman	Sylvester Mike	02:38
8	Baby, You Don't Know	Roy Milton	02:17
9	Buck Fever	Fred Jackson	02:27
10	Run, Mister Rabbit, Run	Smiling Smokey Lynn	02:11
11	Don't Give It Away	Jo Jo Adams	02:57
12	Rockin' with Big John	Big John Greer	02:39
13	Why Don't You Eat Where You Slept Last Night	Zuzu Bollin	02:52
14	Marshall Plan	Big Al Sears	02:46
15	Inflation Blues	Jack McVea	02:51
16	Flying Home	Gene Phillips	02:27
17	Lucy Brown	Duke Henderson	02:37
18	Safronia B	Calvin Boze	02:23
19	Down the Lane	Morris Lane	02:26
20	I'm Gonna Wind Your Clock	Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson	02:58
21	Easy Rockin'	Freddie Kohlman	02:35
22	Walkin' the Floor	Felix Gross	02:39
23	Boogie Mr. Williams	Paul Williams	02:35
24	Keep a Dollar in Your Pocket	King Perry	02:42
25	Castle Rock	Johnny Hodges	02:49
26	She Sets My Soul on Fire	Sonny Parker	02:56
27	Wine-O-Baby	Joe Turner	02:36
28	Page Boy Shuffle	Todd Rhodes	02:42
29	The Blues Pick on Me	Peppermint Harris	02:03
30	Landslide	James Von Streeter	02:51

Track Listing - Disc 4

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time
1	Hi-Ho Sylvester	Jimmy Rushing	02:24
2	Damp Rag	Stomp Gordon	02:28
3	Time to Blow	Crown Prince Waterford	02:45
4	For You My Love	Grant "Mr. Blues" Jones	02:27
5	Royal Boogie	Maxwell Davis	02:36
6	My Baby's Blues	Little Maxie	02:37
7	Rock Around the Clock Jimmy DeKnight / Max Freedman	Hal Singer	02:57
8	Take a Swing with Me	B.B. King	02:34
9	Chit'lins	James Von Streeter	02:37
10	Love Me Baby	Bernie Hardison	02:37
11	Douglas Boogie	Tommy Douglas	02:33
12	Come Home Baby	Tommy Ridgley	02:33
13	Buzzard Pie	Rudy Greene	02:43
14	Blow Mr. Singleton	Charlie Singleton	02:23
15	Giddy-Up Giddy-Up	Lloyd Smith's Gut-Bucketeers	02:52
16	Walkin' Home	J.T. Brown	02:39
17	Get Rich Quick	Little Richard	02:18
18	Fish Market Boogie	Freddie Mitchell	02:58
19	House Rockers Jamboree	Tucker Coles	02:23
20	It Sure Costs Money to Live	Robert Tucker	02:54
21	Jackson's Blues	Earl Sumner Jackson	02:17
22	Forgive Me Baby	Elmore Nixon	02:26
23	Jackson's Boogie	Little Willie Jackson	02:49
24	I'm Your Rockin' Man	Herman Manzy	02:27
25	Worrying Blues	Plas Johnson	02:41
26	High Class Woman	Hubert Robinson	02:46
27	Night Train	Jimmy Forrest	03:00
28	I Can't Lose with the Stuff I Use	Lester Williams	02:18
29	I'll Send You	Goree Carter	02:17
30	Cornbread and Cabbage Greens	Joe Houston	02:27

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